George Howell Interview, Part Two

The second interview transcript we did with George Howell on the CoffeeGeek Podcast. Topics this time include freezing green coffee and a lot more.
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KitchenAid ProLine Grinder, Robert Uyeyama

Bottom Line: I review other criticisms of this unit honestly.  In short this is the best grinder I have found for Turkish, which surely makes it good for pump espresso. Slow rpm makes a large taste difference!
Read review…

Fridges, Coffee Pots Lose Favor in Schools (ABC News)
Mini-Fridges, Coffee Pots Lose Favor in Energy-Conscious Schools

If you are a gourmet coffee drinker, you may want to opt for the convenience of your own coffee maker. After all, who wants to get up early and run out to buy a cup of fresh coffee each and every morning? It is so much more enjoyable to sit and sip your coffee while reading the paper in your robe and slippers.

A Cafetiere is a French coffee maker that is also known as a French press. Since no filters are used, this coffee pot makes rich, strong coffee. If you are not going to be able to serve your coffee right away, the Cafetiere is not a good coffee maker to use. This is because if the coffee is left to sit in the Cafetiere, the coffee grounds continue to brew and the coffee grows very bitter. You can find a Cafetiere that makes a few cups of coffee or you can find a model that makes up to twelve cups of coffee. If you have a modern kitchen, you may want to opt for a Cafetiere made with solid stainless steel. For a less modern kitchen, you can find a Cafetiere made with a combination of glass and steel.

Cappuccinos are a very expensive habit for people who drink a cup or two of coffee each day. If you have a coffee addiction, you may want to shop for a Cappuccino coffee maker. These coffee makers are a bit on the expensive side compared to standard coffee makers, but then the price of a Cappuccino is more expensive than regular coffee. If you entertain frequently, you may want to shop for a Cappuccino machine that makes several cups of Cappuccino at one time.

Finally, don’t forget to add a coffee grinder to your purchase. Coffee grinders will help you enhance your coffee drinking experience, since you can buy and grind your own gourmet beans to make the freshest coffee possible. You can find an old fashioned hand powered coffee grinder if you do not grind a large quantity of beans. However, if you grind a lot of coffee, it may make more sense for you to opt for a powered coffee grinder, instead.

Once you have a new coffee maker, you will be able to spend less time waiting in lines at the coffee shop. Perhaps you can use that time to relax and enjoy the morning.

About the Author

Matthew Anthony writes articles on many home and garden subjects including cookers and coffee makers.

Vibiemme Domobar Super

CoffeeGeek takes a first look at a heat exchanging, E61 equipped machine that stands out from the crowd on more than a few features.
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Java Dreams
Coffee Poetry

Top Fully Automatic Espresso Machines
A fully automatic espresso machine has an integrated grinder, and will grind just the right amount of coffee for the perfect shot each time. Talk about fresh, and still easy to use. Even with the grinder, you can usually make…

Long ago it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner. Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and see if the end results would be the same for him as they had been for his flock. To his pleasant surprise the shepherd began to feel wide awake and he too became very alert. After a few hours had passed along came a wandering monk who, after being informed of the plants amazing qualities proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. After he had finished telling the shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk set upon his journey but not before he had added a little something to his backpack and supplies.

Back at the monastery the monks decided to try this new and exciting substance. Soon the endless hours of praying were endured with the greatest of ease. Coffee, the drink had been revealed to the world. Its widespread use then took a grip in the Ethiopian lands before then migrating on to the Arabian outlands. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a merchant called Baba Budan. Word of its qualities were soon to spread and within a few years coffee was to emerge as one of the most valued commodities of all time. Now would you believe that each year we drink an amazing four billion cups and there are those among us who would cry at the thought of starting their day without it.

Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits. It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular. Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day!

Aside from the benefits that have been mentioned above, it has to be said that simply enjoying coffee as a beverage is a delight that will never be easily surpassed. The unbelievable thing is that most people have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this monarch of all drinks has to offer. One of the fastest growing trends of the past few years has to be the rising popularity of obtaining coffee via the internet. Never before has it been so easy to sample such a huge variety of blends, tastes and aromas, and all at the click of a mouse. I order coffee frequently through the internet and I always make a point to record the country, blend and from whom I purchased.

Well now that you know the tale of the mystical beans I hope that if in the future you are considering visiting your local coffee shop you recall the story of the lowly shepherd and think about just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered onto that bleak and lonely hillside. Why not take advantage of the internet and try the many different varieties and blends available. Not only will you impress your tastebuds, your friends will be grateful as well.

Cappuccino or latte?

The Milk Frothing Guide

Everything you could possibly want to know about milk and milk frothing is presented to you by Aaron DeLazzer, CoffeeGeek, and Aabree Coffee.
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Black. Java. Cappuccino. Coffee with cinnamon, hazelnut, caramel toffee, chocolate, vanilla, cream, berries name it, the options are overwhelming and it s good to know that they are all in the bag. The hot and luscious coffee is tempting everyone to forget about being health conscious for a moment and take a sip… But once you started a sip, chances are you won t care about the aftermath anymore

The fondness for coffee was heightened by the sprouting of espresso shops. Since then coffee has been regarded as an all-time favorite drink. Young and old alike are fascinated with its unique aroma and taste. Next to water, the next most common drink is coffee. In the United States, there are about 160 million American who are hooked in drinking coffee.

What s in coffee that makes it addictive? Coffee is like an addictive pill. Your routine will be lacking if you miss one drink. Let s know coffee better. Coffee is brewed from the seeds of the coffee plant. Coffee beans contain caffeine, a stimulant known as trimethylxanthine. The most common and well-defined effect of coffee is it being the stimulant of the central nervous system. Within a minute of drinking coffee, caffeine levels peak to generate vigilance, sharp concentration and improves mood. This is the reason why it is called the wake-up drink . While some people do well with this boost, others become over-stimulated. The side effects include insomnia, anxiety, irritability and diarrhea. In the past, coffee has been linked to an array of health risks, ranging from stroke, miscarriage, high cholesterol to cancer. Thus, we have to be cautious with the amount of coffee we can take.

The urge of drinking a coffee has no exact time. It can come any time of the day but mostly during breakfast and breaks. In addition, even riders are hooked by it. When a rider has already traveled hundreds of miles or probably while inspecting his Yamaha motorcycle parts if they are still in good riding condition, he will most likely feel tired and sleepy and will order coffee to stimulate him. However, what the rider did not know is that coffee is not a substitute to a normal sleep. Riders who drink more than they’re used to may become restless, jittery, or sleepy. Thus, it will be hard for him to focus on the road and may thus cause accidents.

Now, if you re a rider and you re having your break, will you still opt for a cup of coffee? Time for a cup of coffee

About the Author

For Comments and Questions about the Article you may Log - on to http://www.yamahamotorcyclepartsonline.com

Success brewing at Whitehall coffee shop (Winona Daily News)
WHITEHALL, Wis. Ed Elliott didn t have a routine that satisfied him until he discovered the Alternative Ground Coffeehouse. Now, almost any day, you can find him sitting in a corner by the big storefront windows, reading and drinking coffee.

Greeley enterprise dips into coffee franchise (Greeley Tribune Online)
If oil and housing and commercial development weren’t enough, Calvin Enterprises is now in the coffee franchising business.

Health Benefits of Herbal Teas
With cold winter weather almost here, it’s a perfect time to experiment with some new herbal teas to help boost your health. Here is a list of many common herbs used in tea, with a breakdown of their basic health-related…

Bottom Layer:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread in the bottom of greased 9×13 pan.

Middle Layer:

• 4 to 5 cups of rhubarb (cut up)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 three-ounce package strawberry Jello

Measure rhubarb into a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, milk, sugar and flour. Spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle the dry strawberry Jello over the rhubarb mixture.

Top Layer:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter/margarine into the flour and brown sugar. Continue mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb layer.

Bake at 375 degrees for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

For an added treat, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

How to Use a Pour Over Brewer

Want to make the perfect cup of drip brewed coffee? You don’t need no fancy $150 digital wunderkind - a simple $4 manual drip pourover device will do the trick!
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More than just coffee (The Star Online)
COFFEE caf s have become a fad these days, but Austin Chase Coffee prefers to not follow the trend.

Mint-Chocolate Coffee Spoons
(A quick and easy way to enjoy mint-chocolate coffee!)

My sister-in-law makes these, and they sell them at school events to raise money for the parochial school where her son is enrolled. She says they “sell like hotcakes.” Suggested price: 2 for $1. If you want to make gifts for people for birthdays or Christmas or other special occasions, or as party favors, the coffee spoons work well for that too.

Ordinary plastic spoons

Bars of Hershey’s chocolate

Hard peppermint candy or, for something different, try dinner mints

Saran Wrap or other plastic wrap

Short pieces of ribbon

Melt the chocolate. Dip the plastic spoons in the chocolate. Lay spoons on wax paper. Before the
chocolate sets, place a mint in the middle of the spoon.

When the chocolate has cooled and hardened, cover spoon with Saran Wrap (or other plastic wrap). Tie a ribbon around handle of the spoon to hold the plastic wrap in place. (Use colored plastic wrap and coordinating colors for the ribbon, if you prefer.)

To use: pour a cup of hot coffee, take the plastic wrap off the spoon, stick the spoon in the coffee and stir. And TA-DA! — mint chocolate coffee.

Note: You might want to add some chocolate chips to the melted chocolate to give it a somewhat
firmer consistency when it cools off. You may also want to experiment a bit with dipping the spoons a couple of times.

Another note: you could also experiment with other flavors. What about vanilla almond bark and
butterscotch candy? Or chocolate and butterscotch? Or chocolate and raspberry candy? You get the picture, I’m sure.

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About the Author

LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books “Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)” and “Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam.” http://ruralroute2.com